Can-opening device.



E. E. HARDY.

CAN OPENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1916.

1,21 8,648. Patented Mgr. 13, 1917,

TES

EMERY EASTMAN HARDY, or nAYsIDE, NEW YORK.

CAN-OPENING DEVICE.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed May 1, 1916. Serial No. 94,666.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMERY EASTMAN HARDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bayside, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can- Opening Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in can opening devices, and the object of my improvement is simplicity and economy in construction and convenience and efficiency in use. 2

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved can-opening device.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same, the handle end being broken away, and a sectional view of part of a can to which the same is applied.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarge scale, on the line a: of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line g g of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank for the slide member.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 2 z of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of certain parts shown in Fig. 1.

My improved can opening device comprises a handle member 10 having a prong 11 at one end for puncturing the can top and a reduced neck 12 adjacent the same and connecting the same with the body por tion that serves as a fulcrum in use, and a jaw member slidably mounted on the said handle member, and having a jaw for puncturing and cutting the said can top as the handle member is rotated.

At the end 15 remote from the prong 11 the handle member 10 is provided with other can opening devices that form no part of the present invention.

The said handle member 10 is an elongated structure, and comprises the portion 16 adjacent the said can opening devices 15 that serves as the handle proper and the body portion 17 intermediate the said handle proper 16 and the neck 12. The said neck 12 extends downwardly from the lower edge of the body portion 17 ,at the outer end thereof. The portions 18 of the edges of the body portion-17 at the junction of the neck 12 with the body portion 17 form shoulders that are opposed to similar shoulders 18 at the junction of the neck 12 with the upper edge of the prong 11, being separated therefrom by a space 19 corresponding to the length of the neck 12.

The neck 12 in use is entered in a slit in the can top 20 formed by the prong 11 and when turned from the initial entrance position the material of the can top 20 enters within the spaces, on both sides of the neck 12,'the shoulders 18 being in bearing engagement with the said material, whereby the neck 12 is positively held in engagement with the said can top 20.

The neck 12 is short, and therefore, even when moderate thickness of material is used, is of suflicient strength to effect the necessary distortion of the said material to permit the same to be turned, and serve as a fulcrum for the operation of the jaw .member 13.

The prong 11 extends longitudinally outwardly from the neck 12, and is suitably pointed at the outer end.

The body portion 17 is provided with a longitudinal slot 21, the upper Wall of which is in the form of a ratchet, having a series of teeth 22.

The jaw member 13 is slidably mounted on the body portion 17 and is provided with slide members that travel in the slot 21 and also engage with the teeth 22, and in detail is constructed as follows I The blank for the slide member 13 is shown in Fig. 5, and comprises a single piece of sheet material'of peculiar form, consisting of a pair of side plates 23 and 24c connected by a neck 25 that serves as one of the slide members mentioned above. The side plate 23 which is at the rear in Fig. 1, and on the right side when in use is rectangular and approximately square. At the outer end, remote from the neck 25, the right side plate 23 is provided with an extension 26 of somewhat less depth than the plate 23, which serves as a support for a downwardly extending guide arm 27 that engages with the outer surface of the side 32 of the can.

The extension 26 is furthermore provided with a hole 28 for an integral rivet 29 at the other end of the blank.

The left side plate 24 is of the same length as the right side plate 23 and has at the outer edge, shown at the left in Fig. 5, an extension 30 that serves as the second guide member. The integral rivet 29 projects outwardly from the outer edge of the said second guide member 30.

The lower edge portion of the left side plate 24 is extended downwardly and is shaped suitably to form the jaw 14, and is bent at right angles to the plate 24.

The blank described is bent at the two ends of the neck 25 so as to bring the side plates in parallelism, and slipped into position on the body portion 17 by passing one of the slide plates and connected parts through the slot 21, the guide members 25 and 30 extending across the said slot, and the rivet 29 being inserted in the hole 28 and headed over.

The guide members 25 and 30 are of proper depth to slide along the open portion of the slot 21, so that when the slide member 13 is lifted the said guide members will engage with the teeth 22.

The lower edge of the right side plate 23 is provided as shown with a flange 31 that in the lifted position engages with the lower edge of the body portion 17 In use, the prong 11 is forced through the can top 20 until the neck 12 is in position to' engage with the said can top, the slide 13 is moved along the body portion 17 until the outer guide 27 is in position to engage with the side wall 28 of the can, and then the jaw 14 is forced through the said side wall, 28. The handle 16 is then operated as a crank, the edge of the jaw 14 cutting the can top 28, the entire top being cut out if desired.

I may provide in some cases a latch 32 on the slide member for raising the same to the position in which the slide members 25 and 30 are engaged in the teeth 22 and permanently locking the same in such position.

As shown, the said latch 32 comprises an elongated piece of sheet material having a cam surface 33 along one edge at one end and an extension 34 at the other end that serves as a handle, the cam portion being a piece of material pivotally connected at the body portion by means of a pin 35 to an car 36 onthe upper end of the left side plate 24, having a handle 34 extending outwardly from the said body portion, and having a cam surface 33 along one edge, eccentrio with the pivotal connection.

The cam surface 33 is suitable for engaging with the upper edge of the handle member. As shown in Fig. 1, the cam surface is turned away from the handle member, and the slide member is dropped to the sliding position, the handle 34 being turned to the left. Turning the handle 34 to the right brings the cam surface 33 to operative position, so as toraise and lock the slide member, as shown in Fig. 2.

I claim as my invention 1. In a can opening device, a body portion having a longitudinal slot, a jaw member formed of a single piece of sheet material comprising a pair of side plates fitting against the said body portion, a neck connecting the said plates and extending through the said slot, and an extensionpn one of the said plates and also extending through the said slot, and a jaw connected to one of the said plates.

, 2. In a can opening device, a body portion having a longitudinal slot, a jaw member formed of a single piece of sheet material comprising a pair of side plates fitting against the said body portion, a neck connecting the said plates and extending through the said slot, an extension on one of the said plates and also extending through the said slot, a jaw connected to one of the said plates, and a guide finger connected to the other of the said plates.

3. In a can opening device, a body portion having a slot, a jaw member comprising a pair of side plates fitting against the said. body portion, a neck connecting the said plates and extending through the said slot, an extension on one of the said side plates, also extending through the said slot, an integral rivet connected to the said extension, and the other of the said plates having a hole for receiving the said rivet.

4. A blank for the jaw member of a can opening device comprising a pair of side plates connected by a neck, one of the said plates having a reduced extension on the edge remote from the said neck, a rivet extending outwardly from the said extension, and a jaw on one of the lateral edges, a guide finger connected to one edge of the other of the said plates, and the said last named plate having a hole for receiving the said rivet.

5. A can opening device of the type hav ing an elongated handle member provided .at one end with means for engaging with the top of the can as a fulcrum, operated by a crank-like movement, and having a jaw member slidably mounted on the said handle member and provided with a radial jaw, comprising an elongated handle member provided with a longitudinal slot, a set of teeth being providedalong one longitudinal edge of the said slot, a jaw member having a body portion fitting against the said handle member, means for holding the said body portion in engagement with the said handle member permitting of relative longitudinal movement and also crosswise movement, means for limiting the said cross-wise movement and guide members extending from the said body portion into the said slot, suitable in one of the cross-wise limited positions of the said jaw member for engaging with the'sa-id teeth and in the other of the said limited positions to pass freely along the open portion of the said slot.

6.- In combination in a can opening device, a body portion having a longitudinal slot, one longitudinal Wall of the said slot having a set of teeth, a jaw member having side plates for engaging With the sides of the said body portion and guide members 10 extending through the said slot suitable for moving along the open portion thereof, and a latch member supported by one of the said plates and operative to lift the said jaw member so as to bring the said guide members into engagement with the said 1 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

